Your Family Dog Podcast · Episode 2 · October 20, 2026 · 23 min

YFD 002: Preparing Your Dog for Halloween

New episodes of Your Family Dog will be back next week. In the meantime, with trick-or-treat rapidly approaching, grab a Snickers and enjoy this bit of vintage YFD. With spooky season officially upon us, now is a great time to start preparing yourself and your dog for Halloween. Tune in for a quick refresher on the challenges Halloween can present for pups, and advice on how to help guide them through it. TimeStamps: 0:00 Introduction 1:05 Ginger's Story 3:00 Sounds can be scary 3:40 Dogs decide what is "normal" based on early socialization 7:00 Salt Lake City 9:00 Socialization & Habituation 10:24 Additive Philosophy 11:19 Challenges of Halloween 11:30 Tips: A Safe Place to Go 12:00 Tips: Behavior Changes 12:50 Don't force uncomfortable situations (from your dog's perspective) 14:00 Costume Stress - Does your dog enjoy it? 15:00 Dog won't move - Then your dog is not enjoying the costume 19:00 Call In Question: Should I get a Dog for my Dog? 21:00 Alone Training Halloween can be a scary holiday for dogs. In this episode, Julie Fudge Smith and Colleen Pelar discuss the importance of socialization and why dogs can be a bit unnerved by the sights and sounds of Halloween. For more information and show notes go to: Your Family Dog Podcast